


Comfortable

by tufted



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Discussing Coming Out, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 21:00:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29907000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tufted/pseuds/tufted
Summary: Kent lets out another sigh, “Did you know,” and here he pauses like he’s not entirely sure how to get out what he wants to say, “people ship us?” he eventually starts again, ending his sentence on a high-pitched question.------------Or Jeff and Kent discuss coming out
Relationships: Kent "Parse" Parson/Jeff "Swoops" Troy
Comments: 8
Kudos: 40





	Comfortable

**Author's Note:**

> Hey welcome to not the date night one-shot for the [Almost Coffeeshop AU 'verse](https://archiveofourown.org/series/2139294). I've restarted that piece a couple times and at this rate have too much going on in my life right now to put a bunch of energy into forcing something to work. 
> 
> So have this instead haha. This is of course not in that verse if you couldn't tell just as an fyi.
> 
> Title comes from the song by Alessia Cara because apparently that's just what I do now for this pairing.
> 
> General warning for vague mentions of the hockey world being not great and worry of being outed on not their terms.

Kent rolls over and flops onto his stomach on the bed Jeff’s currently leaning his back against. Jeff waits through silence, followed by a huff of annoyance, and some more silence before he starts to say anything.

“Are-”

“Did,”

“Oh sorry,” Kent says and Jeff can almost picture the flush that’s extended down his face and throat. He keeps his eyes on the game he’s watching muted on his iPad but doesn’t really pay attention, instead straining his ears to listen for what’s coming next.

“Nah, go ahead- just wasn’t sure if you were going to say anything or not.”

Kent lets out another sigh, “Did you know,” and here he pauses like he’s not entirely sure how to get out what he wants to say, “people ship us?” he eventually starts again, ending his sentence on a high-pitched question.

Jeff stifles his snort, because he is well aware of what that side of the internet thinks of him and Kent. But it’s not like he’s particularly pressed about them finding out the truth of the matter. There’s something rather freeing about having a job where you can all but makeout with your boyfriend in front of everybody and a bunch of people will still staunchly protect your sexuality as being straight.

It’s comical really.

But they have discussed it, the coming out that is, both before and after the chain wave reaction that Zimmermann set off. Which, Jeff’s still a little peeved about that if he’s being honest with himself. Because who just outs themselves without any thought to who might be caught in the crossfires? That poor blond kid he’s dating likely had to deal with a copious amount of reporters on his campus if the amount Kent’s been fending off in the years following is anything to base it off of. And Zimmermann’s married now to that same kid- you’d think the reporters would grow tired of playing up their rivalry or whatever.

It’s part of why they’ve never come out. 

Besides, the people closest to them know. There’s a PR plan set up in case of emergency, but otherwise they don’t really see the reason to. 

Or well, Jeff doesn’t see why they have to. 

Kent sometimes feels like he owes it to kids his age who are worried about where their place in hockey lies. To which Jeff always replies that they can have Zimmermann to look up to if they really want to. To which Kent always argues that Jack’s a legacy in the league and he’s not, even if he will be leaving a lasting impression regardless. So Jeff always tells him to think it over and Kent always does and thus far has always come back deciding against doing so.

But Jeff has his suspicions. He has a feeling that Kent’ll want to change his mind soon and tell the world. Which there’s a good reason for that- they’re engaged now. And Kent wears his ring on a chain around his necklace like he’s courting danger on purpose.

Not that Jeff would ever absolve him of the joy that comes from being engaged. 

Which he’s certainly made sure their romantic lives have never been lacking, especially after he proposed, but still- he gets it. He knows how touchy feely Kent can get and how he’ll all but vibrate out of his skin sometimes if he can’t fit himself underneath Jeff’s chin and just breathe. And if he’s honest with himself, it would probably be nice to be able to hold Kent’s hand and pull him in tight without worrying about who’s watching and what they’ll be able to extrapolate from the gesture.

And like, they’ll be getting married eventually. He’s pretty sure you have to register for that somewhere and that that’ll be public record at that point. It wouldn’t be too hard for an over enthusiastic intern trying to break into the scene to pull up the information at that rate.

Truthfully Jeff wouldn’t mind being out and if Kent asked, tomorrow he’d jump through a million hoops and go all out in showing his love and support for his fiance to the entire public at large. However, he’s always been well aware of the differences that have made up their hockey careers from the beginning. Like how all the talk about if he’ll sign with another team besides the Aces after his contract is up is even a thing. Which is humorous to him, but mostly because he’s not signing at all with anyone after it expires. 

He would like to still be able to enjoy the use of his hips after his career is over, thank you very much.

But Kent, Kent’s a martyr. He’s the captain that’s dragged them through hell and back in multiple playoff runs, some with happier endings than others. There’s no way anybody would dare blaspheme his reputation with the idea that he’d leave the hockey town he built from nothing. He has a bad knee that he’s already planning on getting surgery for, but not until he absolutely needs to, which, unless something overexerts it, means that he’s going to push himself through yet another playoff run. 

And those reporters? The ones that have been hounding him for years salivating for soundbites regarding Zimmermann? He hasn’t once complained, not even in the dark velvet of night when it’s just the two of them, skin on skin. A place reserved for confessions that don’t leave the covers.

So Jeff’s worried about what’ll happen when they’re both out and Jeff’s not there to protect him. Sure there’s been quiet behind the scenes moves to allow for Jeff to join the broadcast team in Vegas, but he won’t be able to be on the ice with him. To protect him from assholes who might think they can get away with a borderline hit or a terribly unoriginal chirp that can still manage to burrow beneath Kent’s skin and directly into his heart.

And that’s the thing- Jeff’s always just wanted to protect Kent. From the first moment he saw him, all deer in the headlight startled and snapback skewed cockily like he wasn’t terrified. Like the weight of a franchise hadn’t been placed on his shoulders at eighteen. And Jeff hadn’t been sure of what to do, he just knew that he couldn’t allow Kent to disappear and so he’d kept pushing until they’d become friendly, then friends and then finally more. The star rookie and the d-man that had barely made it out of camp seemed like an unlikely pair, but they just worked.

Falling into bed and subsequently into feelings probably should’ve had more complications attached to it, but truly they’d just fit. Filled in the cracks the other had procured over the years until they’d become whole, or as whole as two intrinsically attached, yet broken people could become. Therapy helped with that.

Still, if Kent wants to come out, he’ll stand by him in that decision. After all it’s what he intends to promise in his vows and there’s no better time than the present to get a jump start on them.

“Yes, I’m aware,” he finally grumbles out, voice mostly gravely from unuse.

“I just-” Kent starts, “I think it’s nice to think that we’d have people in our corner, if we, you know,” he trails off.

“Come out,” Jeff finishes for him.

“Yeah that,” Kent agrees.

Jeff turns at that, shutting the screen off on his device and setting it off to the side. “Kent,” he starts.

“Yes?” Kent asks.

“If you want to come out we can.”

His heart roars in his ears even as he says it, the fear of the unknown a giant wave all but engulfing him in the moment. But he knows in the next that it’s the right thing to say. Kent looks up through his eyelashes and bats them in surprise, before they change to a bright shade of blue.

He pushes himself up off the bed with both of his arms. “Really?”

Jeff nods as firmly as he can allow himself, “Whatever you want.”

And then in a matter of seconds Kent manages to plop himself back down on the bed and pull Jeff in for a kiss. It’s mostly teeth clashing and not terribly arousing due to the angle, but it’s Kent so Jeff keeps at it until it mellows into something soft and sweet. When it ends he pulls himself up on the bed next to Kent who flops his head down onto his thigh and sighs in contentment when Jeff begins to drag his fingers through his hair in slow stroking motions.

“Love you,” Kent mumbles into the denim fabric clinging to his legs.

Jeff allows himself a soft smile, “Love you too.” They’re both quiet for another moment before he begins again, “Just- you have to promise me something.”

Kent blinks his eyes open again in confusion, a stormy gray having settled in his pupils. “What?”

“Just that you’ll tell me if something’s bothering you, that if I can do something for you, you’ll let me know. I know you sometimes think of yourself as a lone island- but we’re engaged now. We’re in this for the long haul and I want to be there for you in every feasible way possible.”

Kent’s eyes grow misty, and he blinks in quick succession as though to get rid of any offending tears. His hand comes up to grip Jeff’s and he squeezes them together when their fingers interlace. “Okay,” he says, mostly choked up.

Jeff doesn’t say anything, just smiles as he squeezes back, their own form of silent communication. The idea that whatever happens next, they’ll be able to tackle it together. It warms something in him. 

He thinks that maybe this is what love’s supposed to feel like, and that maybe even if it’s not, he’s not sure he wants it to be anything else.

**Author's Note:**

> Anyway leave a comment if you desire or come talk to me on twitter [@JeanTheBookWorm](https://twitter.com/JeanTheBookWorm) or on tumblr [@pinkviper](https://pinkviper.tumblr.com/)


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